Episode #43: Gifts!
‘Tis the season to discuss the topics of gift giving and receiving! This week as we are in full swing of the holidays, Grace and Alvina catch up on each other’s lives, discuss the topic of gifts, share their favorite books, and as usual… end the episode expressing what they’re most grateful for at the moment.
Alvina re-caps her fun week of some work and non-work holiday parties, including one where she had to stop some party crashers at the bar from trying to load up on free drinks! This was totally awkward and truly a funny story.
Grace has been busy traveling for school visits and preparing for her art exhibit that’s she’s co-curated (with Jarrett J. Krosoczka) at the Eric Carle Museum! If you can go -check it out! "Now & Then: Contemporary Illustrators and their Childhood Art” is a pairing of artists’ childhood art with their published illustrations. Show runs December 14, 2019 - May 10, 2020, so start planning your trip to the museum, you don’t want miss this!
The “Now & Then” show!
For their “trip down memory lane” share, they talk about some of the best gifts they ever received AND have given. Grace wrote her high school boyfriend a really great story about him that she thought that was the best gift ever. She poured all her soul into it but then later it turns out that he broke her heart.
Her husband surprised her with the best gift by refurbishing a lamp that she loved from her parents house. It was a project she wanted to do someday but never got around to it!
The lamp! Grace’s favorite gift from her husband.
Alvina mentions that gift giving and receiving does not rank high in her love languages. However, there are some memorable gifts in her past. She recalls the time her parents gave her and her siblings their childhood passports! Her late-husband bought her a pair of everyday special diamond earring that she does wear everyday.
BOOKS! and more books…
Would you like some children’s book recommendations for the young readers in your life? The Book Friends Forever list some incredible books that may not be on your radar:
Grace’s Top Picks:
Wild Honey from the Moon (Picture Book) - Kenneth Kraegel
The Goose Egg (Picture Book) - Liz Wong
Tales of the Bunjitsu Bunny (Graphic Novel) - John Himmelman
Alvina’s Top Picks:
Bear Came Along-(Picture Book) - Richard T. Morris & LeUyen Pham
The Boring Book (Picture Book) -Shinsuke Yoshitake
Lola Levine Series (Chapter Books) - Monica Brown
The Astonishing Color of After (Novel) -Emily X.R. Pan
The CatStronauts Series (Graphic Novel) - Drew Brockington
Grace is grateful today for her husband who came to help her set up for the Carle Museum exhibit. She was getting worried that she wouldn’t be able to finish everything on time.
Alvina is thankful for Karaoke! It is a great bonding event for publishers to go out and sing karaoke together after their holiday party every year!
Other books and media mentioned in this episode:
